The Fight Against Loud Pipes
Pollution comes in all forms, and that means legislation to fight it will come in all forms, too. In Germany, noise pollution has been targeted. Loud motorcycles are now being targeted by a new proposal. In Baden-Wurttemberg there could be heavy fines or any bike louder than the EU’s 78-decibel noise limit, according to Visordown.
In German, France, and the UK, there are signs with sound meters on them. If a vehicle is too loud, the sign lets them know. Currently, there’s no penalty attached to them. These signs simply let motorists know if they are too loud, but that could change in the future.
One of the things noted by Visordown and other outlets is that German Transport Minister Winfried Hermann proposed to ban any and all aftermarket motorcycle exhausts as well as any factory exhaust modifications. The proposal also suggests outright bans of motorcycles from certain areas.
I’m not one to suggest that loud pipes save lives. That’s an argument I’m not particularly partial to, and I’ve been annoyed by extremely loud motorcycle exhausts before, but these kinds of proposals are troubling. It will be interesting to see how things shake out in Germany and in the rest of Europe. We could be heading for similar restrictions in North America.